As the effects of climate change on Australian agriculture become more apparent, the importance of monitoring changing weather conditions and their diverse impacts will grow to paramount importance. Flexible and scalable processes for data analysis and modelling, particularly image and sensor data, are an essential part of how we monitor and respond to our changing environment. But more than that, we must foster a new generation of scientists and engineers who possess not only the technical skills to analyse this data, but the critical thinking and innovative aptitude to turn it into more sustainable outcomes for our economies, communities, and the entire planet. Full Article: ea Magazine

The Vineyard of the Future initiative is a multinational project that aims to establish a fully instrumented vineyard using wireless connectivity and automated data gathering and analysis. It also aims to be a test-bed for new technology and a trial site for investigating the potential effects of climate change on viticulture in Australia, Chile, US and Spain. Researchers involved with the project have been developing an infrared scanner to assess plant water status at a fraction of the cost of infrared cameras and with the same comparable results.

This document was prepared by The University of Melbourne as part of its flagship innovation initiative, Carlton Connect (www.carltonconnect.com.au). An expert, strategic advisory committee, which contributed towards the methodology and content of this Blueprint, included representatives from the Bureau of Meteorology, the Commonwealth Environmental Water Office, Geosciences Australia, the National Water Commission and the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries. The Murray Darling Basin Authority was also consulted as part of the process. However, the views expressed herein are the views of the University of Melbourne based on the consultation process and are not a reflection of any official policy or consensus amongst these organisations.

Climate change related phenomena like higher temperatures, increased carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, and more frequent and intensive climatic anomalies, such as heat waves and floods, have placed great pressure on agricultural production around the world. In this scenario, agriculture research and production requires more intensive spatial and temporal monitoring of critical variables to assess the effects of climate change on plant physiology, growth, and fruit quality. Image analysis is becoming an important component in modern agriculture and horticulture. It allows the use of inexpensive devices to acquire meaningful information on crop growth, water status, and quality. In the past, these kinds of technology and analysis were too expensive and required specific know how, which was not readily available to growers. This presentation describes the tools used to solve this problem, such as automated analysis of RGB images and video of plant material, scanned images, and infrared thermal images of canopies to assess plant growth and canopy architectural parameters, leaves and fruit development and plant water status. Results from proposed analysis tools have shown similar outcomes in accuracy and robustness compared to more established techniques. The presenter has developed automated image and video analysis codes using the following MATLAB tools: Image Acquisition Toolbox™, Image Analysis Toolbox™, and Statistical Toolbox™.

THE EXTREME EFFECTS of climate change are taking their toll on the viticulture industry, making the future of vineyards here and abroad uncertain. Which is why University of Melbourne wine science lecturer Dr Sigfredo Fuentes and a team of researchers around the world are developing a project to better arm the industry against that change. Vineyard of the Future (VoF) is being conducted in Australia, Chile, Spain and the US.